A Red Ryder Nightmare
by iloveromance
Summary: A crisis has occurred in the Parker household... Ralphie has lost his beloved Red Ryder BB gun!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Ralphie, get up! You'll be late for school!"

Ralphie groaned at the sound of his mother's voice, echoing from downstairs. It couldn't be morning already. He'd just gone to sleep! He opened his eyes, focusing on the Mickey Mouse clock that hung from his wall. Sure enough, it was time to get up. Wearily he climbed out of bed and peered through the blinds. A new snow had fallen, blanketing the backyard with soft white flakes.

Again he heard his mother calling; this time from the door. "I'm not going to tell you again, young man! Now I suggest that you get dressed and come down to breakfast."

"Okay mom! I'm coming! Give me a break, will ya?"  
"I'll give him a break all right." He heard his father say. "Ralphie, you better be down here in five minutes or you'll be sorry!"

When the old man yelled at him, he meant business. Quickly, he put on the clothes that lay neatly folded on his dresser.

"Ralphie now! Your breakfast is getting cold!" His mother yelled again.

"Ralph, if you end up being late for school, I swear I'll..."

"Honey, please..." his mother said, interrupting his father."I'll take care of it. You just get yourself to work."

Ralphie grabbed his books, and ran downstairs, taking them two at a time.

"Ralphie, I've told you a thousand times to walk down the stairs! You'll fall and break your neck and then.... Oh my! Look at your hair! Go upstairs right now and comb it!"

"But Mo-om..." Ralphie whined.

"Do it, Ralphie!" she ordered.

Ralphie could hear his father arguing with the Bumpus hounds from next door. "Get out of my way, you mangy mutts! I have work to do!" The dogs barked like crazy as the family Oldsmobile pulled out of the driveway.

"Ralphie! I'm not going to tell you again!" His mother said.

He turned and ran up the stairs to the bathroom. Grabbing the first brush he saw, he quickly ran it through his hair. Who cared what he looked like? Flick certainly didn't and neither did Schwartz for that matter.

"RALPHIE!"

He raced down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Here, eat your breakfast." His mother said, guiding him to the table. He ate the bowl of cereal in record time, then tossed the spoon into the sink; the metal clanking against the porcelain.

"Now Ralphie, remember..." his mother said, handing him his tin lunch box."Hold Randy's hand and don't let anything happen to him."

_Like anything could happen to a kid whose winter coat made him look like a balloon in the Macy's parade. _

Sometimes Ralphie felt sorry for his little brother, but he would never admit it.

He walked out of the house and headed for school, Randy tagging along close behind.

"Ralphie! Get going!" His mother called from the doorway. "You've got to be in school in fifteen minutes and Miss Shields will not tolerate tardiness!"

"Come on, Randy, let's go!" Ralphie yelled. They ran as best they could (which was barely faster than a snail's pace); breathless by the time they reached the school yard.

Whew! Just made it! Ralphie could see Flick and Schwartz, tossing a ball to each other.

"Hey Flick!" Ralphie called to his friend. To Randy he said "There's Tommy over there." He pointed to a short red-headed kid in an orange coat. Poor kid looked like a member of the coast guard. "I'll see you after school, okay?"

"But Ral-phie!" Randy whined.  
"Go Randy!" Ralphie ordered.  
Randy turned away, sulking. "Aww geez!"

"Where've you been, Ralphie?" Schwartz asked. Before Ralphie could answer, the bell rang. Throngs of kids rushed by them, heading for the front doors.

"Hurry up, Ralphie!" Flick yelled.

Another day of school. Another day of listening to Miss Shields complain about margins. It seemed to be the highlight of her day. He sighed as he ran into the school, just as the final bell rang.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

They rushed to their seats, just as Miss Shields walked into the room. Smiling, she sat down her books and picked up a piece of chalk.

"Good morning, class."

"Good morning, Miss Shields." The class responded in unison.

"I have your latest assignment here. Overall, a great improvement...but oh, those _margins!"_

_Again with the margins..._

Miss Shields walked down each row, handing back the themes. As she sat Ralphie's face down on his desk, she smiled and winked. "Good job, Ralphie."  
Carefully he turned the paper over, stunned at what he saw.

A+?  
But that was _impossible_! How could he have gotten an A+ on such a boring paper? He glanced down at what he had written:

_My Room_

_My room is my favorite place in my whole house. It has all of my favorite toys and lots of games that I play with my little brother. Actually it's his room too, so that means we share all of our toys, which makes my mother happy. I think everyone should have a room like mine. If they did, they would be very happy._

It _had_ to be a conspiracy! If he would have mentioned his Red Ryder BB gun, he would have gotten another C+ for sure! He barely worked half an hour on the essay about his room, but he had simply agonized over the Christmas theme.

"Teachers!" he mumbled.

Did you say something Ralph? Miss Shields asked.

"No ma'am. " He replied, embarrassed that he had spoken aloud.

"All right, class. Now open your readers to page 19. Hester Sue, will you start reading at the first paragraph?"

As Hester Sue stood and began to read, Ralphie heard Flick whispering his name. Slowly he turned his head.

"Hey Ralphie!

"Shh!" Ralphie whispered back "Miss Shields will hear us for sure." Quickly he focused his attention on the front of the room. Hester Sue had finished reading and now it was Jimmy Weinstat's turn. Ralphie tried to follow along, but as soon as he found the place, he heard Flick whispering again.

"Ralph!" Flick hissed.

Irritated, Ralph turned his head. "What?" he said, louder than he meant to.

Silence fell over the classroom. Miss Shields put her book down and glared at him. "Ralphie is there a problem"?

"No, Miss Shields." Ralphie said, annoyed that he was the one who had gotten into trouble.

Mercifully the bell rang. Time for recess.

"Okay class, when you come back, we'll go over math problems in preparation for tomorrow's test.

Everyone groaned.

"Now class, we've talked about this test for the past few days, so I want you to be sure you study tonight. You're dismissed for recess.

The students raced for the door as though the building were on fire. Ralphie stayed behind, putting his paper into his folder.

"Come on Ralphie!" Flick said. "I want to play some more catch. We can have a contest to see who the winner is."

"Yeah?" Schwartz said. "Well _I'm_ gonna win!"

"In your dreams!" Flick said. "Let's go, Ralphie!"

Ralphie joined them outside and they began to toss the ball around.

"Hey Ralphie." Schwartz said. "What are you doing after school?"

Ralphie shrugged. "Nothin' I guess. Why?"  
"How about we meet up at your house with our Red Ryder's and go find some targets to shoot? My uncle gave us a bunch of old tin cans. We can shoot em off of the fence."

"What about the math test?"

"Math test schmath test. This is more important. You're not chicken are you?"  
"No of course not!" Ralphie said.

"Okay then. We'll go over to your house and wait while you get your gun."

"All right, but I have to be home by dinner or my old man will kill me."

"Whatever." Schwartz said.

The bell rang again for school to resume, and Schwartz kicked the snow in frustration. "Man! Recess is always way too short!"

They ran back into the school, hoping the day would pass quickly.


	3. Chapter 3

Ralphie squirmed in his seat, unable to take his eyes off the clock. He could hear the class reciting the State Capitols in unison, but He could think of nothing else but challenging Flick and Schwartz to a Red Ryder shootout!  
Carefully he picked up the sleek rifle, running his hand across the smooth surface. Aiming at his target, he pulled the trigger ever so slowly, and-

"RALPH!"

The voice jolted him back to reality.

"Yes, Miss Shields?"  
"I asked you to give us the State Capitol of Oregon."

Nervously, Ralph looked around the room, aware that every pair of eyes was focused directly on him.

"Ralph, I'm not going to ask you again." Miss Shields said irritably. "What is the capitol of Oregon?"  
"Ummm... Pittsburgh?"

The class erupted in laughter.

"Ralph, I want to see you after school!" Miss Shields said in an unusually harsh tone.

"Ohhhh...." came his classmates' response.

Ralphie sulked in his seat.

"Oh man...."

Ralph turned around to find Schwartz and Flick trying ever so slightly not to laugh.

"Salem." A voice answered.

"Very good, Hester Sue." Miss Shields said with a smile. "The capitol of Oregon is Salem."  
Hester Sue smiled sweetly and sat down.

"All right, Class. I want you to go home and study this list of State Capitols because there will be a test this week."  
A wave of groans and protests floated through the classroom.

After what seemed like an eternity, the bell rang.

Avoiding Miss Shields' gaze, Ralphie slid his books off of the desk and quietly merged into the sea of students who were heading for the door.

"Ralph!" Miss Shields called to him, just as he reached the door."  
_Oh no..._

Wordlessly he turned and saw Miss Shields, hands on hips, motioning him to her desk.

Like a prisoner being let off to jail, Ralphie walked slowly toward Miss Shields.

"Ralphie." She said sternly. "You are one of my brightest students and it upsets me to find you daydreaming in the middle of a lesson. This isn't the first time this has happened."

To his horror, she scribbled a note on a piece of paper, folded it and handed it to him.  
"Now, I want you to take this note home to your parents and have them sign it."  
"Yes ma'am." Ralphie said, clutching the yellow piece of paper in his hand. He made his way to the door and was just about to open it, when he heard;  
"Oh, and Ralph?"

He turned around and cringed when she handed him another piece of paper. "This is a special assignment just for you. I want you to write _I Will Not Daydream in Class _fifty times and hand it in before school tomorrow morning."  
Ralphie looked at his worn brown shoes. "Yes ma'am. "

"You're free to go now." Miss Shields said with a smile.

Ralphie walked out of the room, sulking.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey Ralphie, wait up!" Randy yelled as Ralphie came running out of the school.

"What took you so long?" Flick asked.

"Miss Shields sure looked mad!" Schwartz said, laughing. "Boy, she really let you have it, didn't she?"

"Shut up!" Ralphie said, doing his best to ignore his friend. He clutched the note for his parents tightly in his palm.

"What's that?" Schwartz said, grabbing the note out of Ralphie's hand.

"Hey! Give that back!" Ralphie yelled, jumping up to try and retrieve the note, which Schwartz was now waving in the air.

To Ralphie's dismay, Schwartz unfolded the note and scanned the contents. The only way to get it back now was to grab it, and it was sure to tear. He was in enough trouble as it was, and humiliation seemed like the best option.

"_Dear Mr. and Mrs. Parker_" Schwartz read aloud:

"_I'm afraid that Ralph is not taking his education seriously. He was caught daydreaming in class and unfortunately this isn't the first time. I have instructed him to write I will not daydream in class fifty times and hand it in tomorrow morning, along with your signatures on this note_. _Sincerely, Miss Shields_. "

Schwartz and Flick burst into a fit of laughter. "Your old man's gonna pound you!" Flick noted.  
"Shut up, will ya?" Ralphie yelled, finally grabbing the note from Schwartz.

"Go get your gun and we'll meet up in the yard." Flick said.

"Okay." Ralphie said, forgetting all about the note from Miss Shields. He ran into the house, dropping his books onto the floor.

"Ralphie is that you?" His mother called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, Mom!" Ralphie yelled as he bounded up the stairs.  
He ran into his room and made a beeline for his closet. There, hidden deep in the recesses, was his most prized possession; his Red Ryder BB gun.

No one and absolutely no one knew about his coveted hiding place. He took a quick glance around the room to make sure no one was watching. When he was sure that the coast was clear, he stepped into the back of the closet, pushing back the mounds of toys that were piled on the floor. When he was mere inches from the corner, he reached behind a huge stuffed teddy bear and-

Something was wrong!

Frantically, he pushed the bear out of the way, revealing an empty corner.

His Red Ryder was gone!


	5. Chapter 5

Ralphie's heart began to beat faster and he felt hot and cold all at once. The last time he felt like this was when his father discovered the collection of frogs hidden in the kitchen cupboard. He couldn't sit for a week after the pounding he'd received that day!

A familiar sound caught his attention. He moved to the window and pulled it open, peering into the yard below. When he spotted Flick and Schwartz, he reached under the window pane and pushed it open.

"Hey Ralphie! Hurry up, will ya?" Schwartz yelled.

"All right, I'm coming!" Ralphie yelled back. Quickly he began to search every inch of his room, tossing toys, clothes, books and papers into the air. The more he searched, the more worried he became. The Red Ryder was nowhere to be found.

"Come on, Ralphie!" Flick called from the yard.

Ralphie began to panic. He couldn't live without his beloved gun. And he _really _couldn't tell Flick and Schwartz that it was missing. Worst of all, he could _never_ tell his parents! He might never be able to sit down again!

"RAL-PHIE!"

Annoyed, he went over to the window. "I'm coming! Just keep your pants on!" He yelled, borrowing an expression from his father.

Ralphie walked out of the room and bounded down the stairs. When he reached the foyer, his mother smiled at him.

"Flick and Schwartz are outside. They said you boys are going to play with your Red Ryder's."  
Then, a shudder.

"Ooh, those things are dreadfully dangerous, but go ahead. Just _please _be careful! Don't shoot your eye out!"

She kissed the top of his head and gently pushed him out the door.

"You boys have fun!"

Hesitantly, Ralphie walked outside and into the backyard.

Flick and Schwartz smiled when they saw him.  
"Geez, Ralphie what were you doing?" Flick asked. "Picking goobers?"

"Well, I – "

"Never mind." Schwartz said, tugging at Ralphie's sleeve. "Let's go!"

"Hey!" Flick yelled. "Where's your Red Ryder?"

"Don't tell me you forgot it!" Schwartz said, before Ralphie could answer. "I have to get home for dinner soon. We're having my favorite; tacos! So hurry up and go get it! We haven't got all day!"

"I'll... I'll be right back." Ralphie said. He turned and went into the house to find his mother making dinner.  
"Well! Finished already?" She exclaimed. "You boys didn't stay out very long. Usually you're out for hours. I know how much you love that gun."

"D-do you want me to set the table?" Ralph asked, fearing that his mother would suspect something.

Instead she smiled and gave him a hug.

"Why Ralphie, aren't you sweet? But dinner won't be ready for a while. We're having spaghetti, your favorite. So why don't you go out and play some more?"

"Um... Schwartz said he had to get home for dinner." Ralphie said. "So I can stay here and help you."

His mother peered out the window.

"Well then why are Schwartz and Flick still standing outside?"  
"Oh..." Ralphie said.

A knock on the back door startled him, and his mother went to answer it.

"Well hello again, boys!"  
"Hello, Mrs. Parker." Flick said with a smile. "We were just waiting for Ralphie."  
Ralphie ran for the door, pushing past his mother. Once he got to the back porch, he shut the door behind him so hard that it rattled the dishes.

"Ralphie! Not so hard!" He heard his mother's muffled voice yell from the kitchen.

"What's the big idea?" Schwartz asked. "Are you coming or not?"

Ralphie's chest tightened. "I can't."  
"Whadda ya mean, you can't?" Flick demanded.

"Um... well, my mom saw the note from Miss Shields and boy is she mad!" Ralphie said, grateful to have an excuse.

"She didn't look mad to me." Schwartz observed.

"Well, she's calm now, but she says I can't come outside today." Ralphie said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Boy, thanks for nothin' Ralphie!" Flick said angrily. "Come on, Schwartz, let's go."

Ralphie watched in misery as his friends stomped out of the yard.


	6. Chapter 6

"_All right Parker, we've got you surrounded!" The big gruff voice boomed. "You're not going to get away this time!"_

"_That's what you think!" Ralphie said. He was going to get that varmint if it was the last thing he did! _

"_Okay, Black Bart... Now you get yours!"_

_Slowly he reached for the slick metal BB gun, prepared for a showdown with Black Bart. All of a sudden, Black Bart erupted in laughter. _

"_What's so funny, Bart?" Ralphie demanded. _

"_What's so funny?" Bart repeated. "You must be pretty dumb to think that you can get me with that object in your hand! Why that thing wouldn't hurt a fly!"_

_Ralphie was puzzled. "What do you mean?"  
"Well, see for yourself, little boy!" Bart laughed. _

_Ralphie pulled the object from behind his back, and gasped in horror at what he saw. For in his hand, wasn't his beloved Red Ryder. It was the giant teddy bear from his closet!_

_Bart continued to laugh, but Ralphie was not amused. _

"_Shut up." Ralphie sneered; more embarrassed than ever before. How had that gotten there? And where was his gun?_

"_Well lookie here!" Bart said. "Ralph Parker still plays with teddy bears! Ain't that sweet! What do you think Flick and Schwartz will say when I tell them you tried to kill me with a stuffed teddy bear?" He laughed harder this time.  
"I-I don't!" Ralphie said; his tone desperate. "Y-you can't tell them that!"_

"_Oh but I can!" Black Bart said. "You just wait, Ralph Parker! You'll get yours! I can guarantee it!"_

Ralphie woke with a start; his heart pounding. Thank God it was only a dream. Actually a nightmare was more like it.

He looked around the room, which was bathed in streaks of light coming from the street lamps outside. On the other side of the room, Randy lay sleeping peacefully as he clutched his Zephyr. He hadn't let that thing out of his sight since he received it.

For the first time in his life, Ralphie was jealous of his little brother. Randy still had his beloved Christmas gift and he wasn't very bright sometimes.

Ralphie sighed worriedly. What he would give to have that Red Ryder in his hand right now!

Where could it have gone?

He closed his eyes, trying desperately to think of a place-any place-of where he might have left it but each time was left to the same conclusion...

His precious, beautiful Red Ryder was gone forever.

"Ralphie, wake up!"

Ralphie squinted at the bright sunlight that streamed into the window. Another morning had arrived without so much of a warning. It simply wasn't fair. Shouldn't a kid be exempt from tossing and turning all night because of bad dreams?

Until yesterday, Ralphie didn't have a care in the world; except for his Red Ryder.

Now he didn't even have that.

"Ralphie! I'm not going to tell you again!" His mother's tinny voice called from the kitchen. Wearily, Ralphie climbed out of bed and got ready for school.

"Ralphie, eat your breakfast!"

Ralphie stared at his cereal bowl and swished the now-soggy cornflakes around with his spoon. His old man eyed him sternly.

"Ralph Parker, if you don't start eating that cereal by the time I'm finished with this sports section..."

Ralph hurriedly began to shovel the saturated flakes into his mouth, swallowing them without bothering to chew. His old man could read the sports section in record time.

"All finished." Ralphie said as he rose from the table. He tossed his spoon and bowl along with the half empty cup of milk which (to his mother's horror) splattered all over the porcelain sink.

"Ralphie!" His mother yelled. "You'd better clean this mess up, young man!"

But Ralphie had already headed for school, Randy hurrying to keep up.


	7. Chapter 7

"Hey Ralphie, what was the big idea, yesterday?" Schwartz whispered as Miss Shields called the roll.

"Nothin." Ralphie said with a shrug.

"Then why didn't you want to play shoot 'em up?"

Ralphie felt his stomach tie up in knots. Just when he'd all but forgotten that his beloved Red Ryder was gone, Schwartz had to go and bring it up again.

"Come on... Out with it!" Schwartz demanded.

"Shhh!" Miss Shields shushed.

"Ralph Parker?"

When Ralph didn't answer, a few snickers could be heard around the room.

"RALPH!" Miss Shields finally yelled, causing the class to erupt in laughter.

"Here." He said meekly.

Miss Shields smiled. "Okay Class. Please get out your notebooks and pencils. We are going to have a test."

"Aww!" the protests and groans echoed throughout the classroom.

"Now Class, I warned you about this yesterday, so I hope you are prepared. Number your paper from 1-48 and don't forget to put your name on the top. This test will be on the State capitols that we went over yesterday."

Oh no! Ralphie was doomed! In his agony over the disappearance of his Red Ryder, he'd completely forgotten to study! He slumped in his seat and began to number his paper.

The first state is Texas." Miss Shields said. "Write down the name of the capitol next to number one."  
Ralphie stared at the paper.

Texas... Texas...

Oh why couldn't he think of the capitol?

Texas was big. _Really_ big with lots and lots of cities. He'd never be able to remember which one was the capitol. He'd never been to Texas but he'd heard plenty about it.

Texas was the land of cowboys and Indians, gunfights...

"_Howdy, Pardner." Ralphie said as he politely tipped his ten-gallon hat. "Ready for a showdown?"_

"_You? Ha! You ain't got a chance against me!" Black Bart sneered._

"_Oh yeah? We'll just see about that!" Ralphie said. "Them injuns over there are on the warpath, you know. But I'll have them taken care of in no time. And I sure as heck ain't scared of you, so-."_

"Ralph!"

Startled, Ralphie looked up to find Miss Shields standing in front of him with her hand extended.

"I need your test paper."

He glanced at his test, horrified when he saw what he'd done. Next to every number were the words "Red Ryder"!

Quickly he turned the paper over and handed it to Miss Shields, praying that she wouldn't bother to look at it until after school.

When the bell rang for recess, his classmates jumped out of their seats and scrambled to put on their winter coats.

Excitedly Ralphie stood and began to run for the door. He, Flick and Schwartz were going to play marbles and Ralphie was determined to win!

"Ralph, may I have a word with you?" Miss Shields asked mere seconds before he pushed the door open.

"Yes ma'am?" Ralph asked timidly.

"I gave you an assignment yesterday and a note for your parents."

He swallowed hard. Not only had he forgotten to study for his test, but he'd also forgotten to give the note to his parents! And if that wasn't bad enough, he hadn't done the assignment from Miss Shields!

He was a goner for sure!

"Um... Yes ma'am."  
"May I see them, please?"  
"Well, I..."

Miss Shields put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"You didn't show the note to your parents, did you?"  
Ralphie looked down at his feet.

"How about the assignment?"  
He shook his head.

"Oh Ralphie, I can't tell you how disappointed I am in you!"  
Ralphie sighed and looked out the window, longing to be outside playing football with the other kids in the snow.

"Well, Ralphie, because you didn't do as I asked, I have no choice but to keep you inside for recess every day for the rest of the month. I'll have a special assignment for you to work on while the others are out at recess. Perhaps then you'll understand how important it is to not only pay attention in class but to do the assignments as they are given to you and turn them in on time."

Ralphie opened his mouth to protest, but Miss Shields held up her hand.  
"Now go to your desk and get out your notebook and paper. I want you to write _I will not daydream in class_ fifty times and when you are finished, you will sit here quietly and think about what you have done until the others have returned from recess."

"Yes ma'am." Ralphie said, walking to his seat as though he were headed for the guillotine.

He began to write carefully on the paper, making sure his handwriting was as neat as possible and within the margins.

As he wrote, it was almost impossible not to think about the tragedy that had occurred at home:

His Red Ryder was gone... the best Christmas gift he'd ever received. And when his old man finds out...

_Oh no..._

Suddenly, going to Texas didn't seem like a bad idea.


	8. Chapter 8

Ralphie trudged through the snow, trying to tune out Randy, who was trying desperately to keep up with his older brother.

"Come on, Ralphie! Wait up!"

Reluctantly, Ralphie turned around and waited for Randy, who ran at a snail's pace before falling face first into the snow. Ralphie hurried over and helped his little brother up.  
"Thanks, Ralphie!" Randy said with a smile.

"Sure, now come on! Let's go!" Ralphie said.

He simply had to get home and find his Red Ryder!

As they walked home, his mind filled with images of his beloved gun. Where could it be? He was sure that he put it back in his coveted hiding place. No one else knew where it was.

Finally they reached the Parker home on Cleveland Street. Ralphie grabbed the mail from the mailbox and ran into the house, tossing the mail onto a nearby chair.

"Ralphie! Randy, don't run!" Their mother said as they raced through the kitchen en route to the stairs that led to their bedroom.

Once inside, Ralphie sprang to action.

He had a mission to accomplish!

He was going to find that Red Ryder if it was the last thing he did!

One by one he opened his dresser drawers, tossing clothes everywhere.

"Hey!" Randy yelled when Ralphie's crisp white church shirt hit him square in the face.

"Move it, will ya? I'm busy!" snapped Ralphie.

He was on a roll. By the time he finished with the drawers, the room looked like a clothing bomb had gone off.

However, there was no sign of his Red Ryder.

"Damn it, no luck." Ralphie said, mumbling a phrase that he'd heard his father use a million times.

Well... time to move on to the closet. He peeked inside, glaring at Randy who was watching in dismay.

"Ah! There it is!"  
Ralphie was so happy that he jumped for joy, prompting Randy to do the same.

Ignoring his obnoxious little brother, Ralphie ran inside and began tossing the contents through the narrow doorway. He stopped when he saw the familiar red, white, black and brown box, and peered inside.

Alas, the box was empty; instantly dashing his hopes.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" Randy yelled when Ralphie resumed his search. He ignored Randy and worked even faster; his heart pounding with every thrown object.

When the closet was completely empty, Ralphie looked around the room. It was the messiest room he'd ever seen in his entire life! Piles of clothes covered the floor, along with toys and scattered comic books (things he'd never show Flick or Schwartz), but when he looked around, he saw no sign of Randy.  
Oh no! His brother had been buried under the debris!

Ralphie raced around the room, throwing clothes everywhere, desperately searching for his little brother.

"RALPH ALAN PARKER!"

Ralphie froze at the familiar booming voice of his mother, and turned to find her and Randy standing in the doorway.

"Ralph Parker! What in the world happened in this room?" His mother demanded. Her voice was so loud, Ralphie was sure the windows would break.

Amazingly they stayed intact.

"Um... I was looking for..."

_What are you doing, Stupid?_ His conscious squeaked out_. Ya got a death wish or something? You can't tell her about the Red Ryder!_

"I don't care what you were looking for, young man! Now get this mess cleaned up, pronto! Oh, just wait till your father hears about this!"  
When she turned to leave, he panicked.

His father! Oh no!

But then he remembered something; that his mother hadn't yet found out that his Red Ryder was missing.

Maybe things were going his way after all!


	9. Chapter 9

At the instance of his mother, Ralphie slowly began to clean up his room. He didn't realize what a chore it would be until he started to sort through the clothes that covered the carpeted floor.

An hour and a half later, he put the last shirt back on the rack and hung it in the closet.  
Whew! What a relief. Exhausted, he sat down on his bed. The soft mattress looked so inviting that he couldn't resist laying his head on his pillow.

Before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep...

"_Okay, Ralphie! You'd better surrender if you know what's good for you!" Black Bart said._

"_Not so fast, Bart. You're gonna get yours." Ralphie replied. He squinted as he pointed the rifle directly at his most feared enemy. If he aimed just right, Bart should be pushing up daises in no time! He smiled mischievously at the thought and slowly pulled the trigger._

"BANG!"

Ralphie bolted upright on his bed; his heart racing like a freight train. He glanced out the window, horrified when he realized that the sky was turning soft and purple.

And in the driveway was his father's Oldsmobile!

Oh no!

"#&*%!" His father yelled.

Ralphie pressed his ear to the cold window, curious to know why his father had started yet another swearing fit.  
"Dag nabbit, another blowout! I swear I'm gonna sue that mechanic!" His father yelled.

Ralphie laughed, momentarily forgetting that his life would soon hang in the balance. Minutes later, the front door closed, jolting Ralphie back to the present. In mere seconds, his father would find out what he had done, and sparks were sure to fly.

"RALPHIE!"

His father's voice resonated throughout the house like a clap of thunder.

"Get down here, on the double!"

Ralphie ran into the living room faster than a jackrabbit on a date, thankful that his rugged pants hid his shaking knees.

His father glared at Ralphie, hands on his hips. Ralphie wasn't sure but he could have sworn he saw steam coming from the old man's ears.

"Ralphie, Miss Shields called this afternoon and spoke to your mother. Apparently you've been having some trouble at school? And what's this about turning your room into a giant laundry hamper? Clothes belong in the closet or in a drawer. Not on the carpet! What has gotten into you?"

"I-uh... well, I ..."

His mother sighed. "All right, Ralphie. If you won't tell us, then we have no choice but to punish you. Your father and I have discussed this and we've decided that starting right now, your Red Ryder is off-limits. That means no playing with it at all which includes gun fights with Flick and Schwartz. Do you understand me?"

"Yes ma'am."

Whew! That was a relief. He was home-free!

"Now go upstairs right now and bring me your gun. I'm putting it out of sight until your punishment is over." His mother continued.

Ralphie froze. Oh no... Pulverized!

"But Mom..."  
"Right now, young man! I'm very disappointed in you, Ralphie!" His mother said.

"But Mom, you can't take my Red Ryder away! You just can't!"

"Ralph Parker, if I have to drag you upstairs to get that gun, you're gonna wish you had never gotten a Red Ryder!" his mother said in a tone that meant business.

"No! I can't!" Ralphie yelled. This was worse than he ever imagined!

"Ralphie, I'm not going to tell you again. Now you'd better have a good reason for disobeying me, Mister! Now out with it!"

Ralphie stared at his family; all of whom were glaring at him.

"Why can't you bring me your gun?"

"Because... I can't find it! I lost it!" Ralphie blurted out. To his astonishment, he began to sob.

"Ralph, really! How could you be so irresponsible? I mean-."

"Just a second, Honey." His father said.

Ralph looked up in surprise. What was going on?

"Ralph, I want to talk to you." His father said.

Timidly, Ralphie nodded, and the room grew eerily silent. Here it comes; Ralphie's impending doom.

"I-I didn't mean to lose it, honest! Cross my heart and hope to die!" Ralphie said in a trembling voice.

His father rose from his favorite chair and walked up the stairs.

"Where are you going, Dear?" His mom asked.

Ignoring his wife, Ralphie's father continued to walk up the stairs, returning a minute later. "Um, Ralph? Close your eyes..."

Ralphie shut his eyes so tightly that it gave him a headache. All of a sudden, he heard his mother gasp.

"What are you doing with that?" She asked.

Ralphie swallowed hard, prepared for a walloping that was unlike any other known to kid-dom.

"Okay, Ralph. Open your eyes." His father said.

Ralphie slowly opened his eyes, gasping at the sight. For in his father's hand was the illusive Red Ryder BB gun!

Ralphie opened his mouth, too stunned to speak.  
The old man smiled and turned to his wife. "I'm afraid that I'm the one who should be punished."

"What are you talking about, Honey?" His mother replied.

"Well, I wanted to surprise Ralph for his birthday, so I took his Red Ryder up to Higbee's and had it all spruced up for him." His father explained. "It's all cleaned, oiled and ready to go." Then, a laugh. "Heck, I almost forgot how much you love that gun! I didn't figure you'd know it was missing until I went to put it back!"

"Well, I 'm glad that's settled!" His mother said, much too cheerfully. "Now Ralph, don't think this means that you're off the hook; not by a long shot!"

"Listen, I'm sorry Ralph." His father added. "I looked high and low for that Red Ryder. That's some hiding place you've got there. I almost didn't-."

Before the old man could finish, a smile spread across Ralphie's face. Unable to stop himself, he ran across the room and flung himself into his father's arms.

"Oh my..." His mother said as tears filled her eyes.

"What's this?" His father asked, hugging Ralphie tightly.

"Thank you for finding my Red Ryder." Ralphie said.

His parents looked at each other in disbelief. Heck, Ralphie could hardly believe it himself!

He loved his father.

After a few minutes Ralphie let go. He took Randy's hand and led him up the stairs. "Come on, Randy. We've got homework to do."

When the house was quiet once more, his mother turned to his father. "What was that all about?"  
"I'm not sure, but make a note of it for Santa Claus, will you?" His father answered with a wink.

**THE END**


End file.
